Austria to make face masks mandatory at supermarkets

Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, the Austrian leader, announced Monday that his government will make basic face masks mandatory for shoppers inside supermarkets in an effort to stop the spread of the new coronavirus.

Austria had 10,180 confirmed cases and 128 deaths by early Wednesday. Kurz acknowledged that the masks may not protect the wearer, but believed it was a reasonable step to take to protect the larger population from the disease transmission.

“As of the moment, these masks are handed out in front of supermarkets it will be compulsory to wear them in supermarkets,” he said, according to Reuters.

Dr. Lydia Bourouriba, an MIT associate professor, told USA Today that the coronavirus could likely travel much farther than the established theory of six-feet social distancing.